Agenda item

The Cabinet Member considered a petition from residents requesting traffic calming measures on Cheney Street, Eastcote.  A representative from the petition was in attendance and made the following points:

• Despite the Traffic Calming Measures already in place, speeding traffic was still a big issue on Cheney Street. Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the traffic cushions, with many vehicles able to cross them at speed. The noise created when the undersides of cars scraped the cushions has added noise pollution to a peaceful neighbourhood. 

• The petitioner emphasised that in his opinion the road was unsafe for pedestrians. With significant stretches of the road not having a pavement for pedestrians to use, and a blind corner towards the north end of the road, pedestrians were acutely vulnerable to the speeding traffic. 

• It was also stated that there had been an increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) travelling through Cheney Street. Given that Cheney Street was a residential street, and that the road was narrow in many areas, this was an area of real concern for the petitioners. The noise pollution created by HGVs was also noted.

Councillor Nick Denys attended the meeting as Ward Councillor and supported the petition and comments made by the petitioners. It was noted that the issue on Cheney Street could be understood as a balance between the desire to improve the safety of the road for residents and the desire to maintain the rural quality of the area. Councillor Denys agreed with the petitioners that the problem was worsening and suggested that HS2 and an increase in home deliveries following the pandemic was a root cause. It was requested that any actions taken to improve the situation on Cheney Street involved thorough resident engagement, including residents from Barnhill. 

Councillor Riley listened to the concerns of the petitioners and responded to the points raised. Comments from the Ward Councillor were highlighted, and it was agreed that the issue must consider the semi-rurality of the road. It was noted that previous traffic surveys suggested that the current traffic calming measures, including the traffic cushions, had reduced speed on the road. It was also noted that the number of recorded road traffic collisions had significantly reduced on the road since the measures were installed. However, it was acknowledged that the feedback from residents gave a fuller picture of the situation of the road, and that a further package of traffic calming measures would be useful, potentially ideas such as the use of dot matrix signs for example.

It was suggested that further traffic surveys may be useful, not only to gather more evidence on the speed of cars on the road, but to identify whether the HGVs were using the road as a cut through or whether they were delivering goods for residents on the road. If the road was being used predominantly as a cut through for HGVs, then the Council could consider installing signs advising that the road was unsuitable for HGVs or measures like weight restrictions for the road. 

In considering the matters, Councillor Riley made the following decisions.  

RESOLVED: 

Meeting with the Petitioners, the Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Transport:

1. Listened to their request for traffic calming to be reviewed on Cheney Street, Eastcote;

2. Noted the previous petitions and advised the petitioners of the resulting surveys and work on Cheney Street carried out by the Council;

3. Noted the Conservation Area Status and semi-rural nature of Cheney Street, and the fact that this may reasonably influence the kind traffic calming measures which might be deemed suitable for the road; 

4. Asked officers to undertake 24/7 automated traffic counts at locations along Cheney Street and adjoining roads as agreed with petitioners;

5. Asked officers to consider as appropriate the request to review the traffic calming on Cheney Street, particularly looking at the use of dot-matrix signs on the road; and

6. Asked officers to consider whether a 7.5T weight restriction would be appropriate for Cheney Street.